Wow! Look at how the tables have turned for Vinicius Jr at Real Madrid. From being labelled as a talent with no end product to now scoring four goals in four games in La Liga. The Brazilian has turned into a fan favourite at the club and his recent celebration against Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu summed it up perfectly when he ran into the stands.
Vinicius has always shown a tremendous amount of potential since he signed in 2018. But this season, it finally looks like his potential is coming of age with his output in the final third increasing significantly.
Vinicius’ rapid improvement has been credited to Carlo Ancelotti but there’s more than what meets the eye in the case of the Brazilian rampant form. Let’s look at some of the key reasons that have helped Vinicius Jr with his performances so far this season.
CARLO ANCELOTTI DESERVES CREDIT
Carlo Ancelotti deserves a heap of praise for Vini’s recent rise in form. The Italian is known to be a fantastic man-to-man manager and his individual work with the 21-year-old is paying off. Carlo during his presentation press conference mentioned how he wants to build an attacking system while also demanding more from other forwards, excluding Karim Benzema.
Ancelotti mentioned Vinicius Jr as one of the forwards who could help in addressing the goal-scoring issues as he saw through the Brazilian’s potential in front of goal. The confidence and faith have paid off so far, with Vini scoring four goals in four games for Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old seems far more composed and mature in front of goal than ever before which has been a key reason behind his recent success. Ancelotti’s advice of fewer touches in the opposition box has helped Vinicius’ decision making in the final third.
According to the manager, the Brazilian international is still the same player who is now more “colder” in front of the goal, via AS.
THE FAITH AND CONFIDENCE SHOWN BY FLORENTINO PEREZ
Florentino Perez has shown immense faith and confidence in Vinicius Jr, especially in the summer transfer window. It’s no secret that Real Madrid wanted to sign Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain wanted the Brazilian in exchange for the Frenchman to which Florentino Perez put his foot down with a firm no.
MARCA reports that Perez admires Vinicius Jr’s attitude and commitment towards the club ever since he set foot in 2018. The winger had rejected several lucrative offers before signing for Madrid and has to date not demanded a raise or a renewal despite earning the fourth-lowest salary in the squad.
The president considers the 21-year-old as a vital player for the club in the present and for the years to come. Even though Los Blancos are obsessed with the signing of Mbappe, it would not hamper or affect Vinicius Jr’s future at the club.
If Mbappe does sign next season, the French star would most likely start as a left-winger- the position which is currently occupied by Eden Hazard and Vinicius Jr. In my opinion, Mbappe’s arrival would not hamper Vinicius’ future at the club.
The Brazilian might face limited minutes but would still have an important role since Kylian Mbappe would not always play on the left. The Frenchman can play up-front or even on the right. In such circumstances, Vinicius would be the first name on the sheet to take up the LW spot ahead of the Belgian, Eden Hazard.
At the moment, it seems like Vinicius is repaying the faith that both Florentino Perez and Carlo Ancelotti have shown in him.
THE FRUIT OF ENDLESS HOURS OF HARD WORK
If you follow Vinicius Jr closely on social media, you would have seen the hard work the Brazilian put himself under during the season break and pre-season. Vinicius continued training while on vacation and worked extra sessions during the pre-season as well.
His work ethic has improved and it could be a result of sharing the dressing room with players who boast such strong mentalities like Karim Benzema or former Real captain Sergio Ramos. Vinicius has admitted that his improvement is because of a lot of work and training while on an interview with AS’ Tomas Roncero.
"This is the product of a lot of work, many hours training in Valdebebas and fighting to improve the definition."
The 21-year-old has also closely worked with Ancelotti and the technical staff on improving his end product. Data has been collected and used to show how fewer touches would improve his performance in the attack and the results are to show during matchdays.
It’s a brilliant start to the season for Vinicius Jr but consistency is key and it would be interesting to see whether or not he can continue his rampant form for the remainder of the season.
Real Madrid takes on Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday evening at the San Siro. Simone Inzaghi has stated that he’ll be paying close attention to Vinicius Jr during the game and will be taking special care of the Brazilian.